The Battle of Hearts
by SmashingIllusions
Summary: Picks up after 2x16. A short story, telling the tale of the actions that took place after Cora's death. Swan-queen


**A/N: A very quick story, written in less than an hour but had been playing on my mind for a couple of days, so I thought, write it, be done with it and get back to the other fic I am writing.**

**Italics are flashbacks. Hope you enjoy.**

"What happened?"

Emma saw Henry sitting quietly on the couch, flipping absent-mindedly through a comic book, his presence the only obvious one in the apartment. He glanced at her, his eyes filled with sadness and fear, scaring her.

"Where's Ruby?"

Before Henry could answer, David quietly came down the stairs and Emma looked up at him, "What happened? Gold's shop is empty. Where's Gold? Is he dead? And what happened to Regina-"

She stopped seeing fear in her father's eyes and frowned before glancing up the stairs, "Where's Mary-Margaret?"

"Cora is dead," Henry stated, his voice void of emotion.

"What do you mean?"

David pulled his daughter in to the kitchen, away from the stairs, "Snow went to get Cora's heart. Rumple told him where to find it- She gave it to Regina… she told Regina that… and-"

"David, what happened?" Emma hissed, exasperation lacing her tone.

"Your mother tricked Regina into killing Cora."

"She did what!" Emma screamed as she shoved the man aside, storming up the stairs and pushing the door open with force, glaring down at her broken mother. "What the hell did you do?"

"Emma," David pleaded, following her.

"What the fuck did you do?" Emma yelled again.

"I cursed Cora's heart," Snow whispered, her voice dead of feeling. "And Regina found me-"

"That's why she wasn't there," Emma whispered.

"I told her that if she really wanted to know if her mother truly loved her she could return her heart to her…"

"Oh God," Emma's heart crumpled, knowing that her mother had found the former mayor's weakness, and preyed on it.

"I wanted her dead for what she did to my mother," Snow reasoned, still not daring to reach her daughter's eyes.

"You're supposed to be the good guy," Emma shouted, not caring about the flinch in her mother's eyes and pushing away her father's comforting hand. "You were supposed to stay put and wait for- We had a fuckin' plan! Regina and I had a plan!"

"Wait," David interrupted, turning his daughter to her. "What do you mean? She's the evil queen… she and Cora were going to use Rumple's dagger and kill us. We heard them."

"All Regina ever wanted was Henry to love her," Emma hissed. "That's all she ever wanted… you both know that."

"Oh God," Snow whispered, nausea swirling in her stomach as realisation hit her hard. "We named her evil… she was trying to tell me at the diner and I ignored her."

"Where is she?" Emma asked, and seeing no answer from either parent, she glanced down at her son who was watching from the bottom of the stairs. "Where would your Mom go?"

"She wasn't evil?"

Emma's heart broke at the confusion in her son's voice and she ran down the steps, kneeling before him, pushing his hair back from his tearful eyes, and she shook her head, "She promised you, didn't she? To redeem herself…"

Henry wiped away his tears with the back of his hands as he nodded, "She must hate me now."

Emma shook her head, "She could never hate you… where would she go Henry?"

"The vault," her son whispered.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_"I thought I'd find you here," Regina said softly as she sat down next to the sheriff on the bench and let her gaze fall on the sea before them._

_"Regina!" Emma jumped, "I've been looking everywhere for you… Archie is alive and I am so sorry… It was your-"_

_"Mother," Regina finished, a smirk dancing on her lips. "I know. She came to see me… Emma, she's is going to kill your parents and you."_

_Emma paled as she let the older woman continue, "I don't quite know what she has in mind, but she is dangerous and you need to het Henry out of here…"_

_"What about you?"_

_"What about me?"_

_"Aren't you in danger?" Emma asked, her heart beating harder than she'd like. "Won't she kill you too?"_

_"I don't think she will," Regina said after a moment._

_"You don't think?" Emma scoffed, raising an eyebrow. "That's reassuring."_

_"All you need to do is take Henry away from here… I'll deal with my mother."_

_"We're going to New York… to find Gold's son," Emma said, a slight tremble in her voice._

_"Gold's son? He found him?" Regina asked before rolling her eyes. "Mother."_

_Emma couldn't hide the confusion on her face, "Your mother?"_

_"I don't have much time. My mother will know I am not where she thinks I am soon…"_

_"Come with me to New York," Emma pleaded, grabbing the older woman's wrist with a strong hand._

_Regina smiled, "Why do you suddenly care about me?"_

_Emma frowned but chose to ignore the question, "Do you have a plan?"_

_"I need to find her plan out first," Regina said. "Take care of Henry for me please."_

_Before the sheriff could answer, Regina had vanished in a mist of purple smoke, leaving her hand holding nothing, "I've got to learn that trick."_

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Regina?" Emma called out carefully as she descended down the stone steps of the vault, seeing dark walls lit by torches. She made her way through the narrow corridor, following the sounds of beating hearts, finding the vault of hearts. It made her shiver as she reminded herself of what was inside of each of those small boxes. She turned to the sound of a small sob and saw Regina standing before the body of her mother. Cora, cold to touch and pale to see, lay upon a slab, peace playing upon her face.

Emma stood behind the brunette, reaching her hands out to comfort the older woman only to be pushed back with a flash of magic. She groaned as her back hit the wall of hearts, and looked up at fury in dark eyes.

"Regina, I'm so sorry…"

"I will end your mother," Regina swore, her voice low. "She did this… she made me kill my own mother."

"Regina? I know what she did… but-"

"No Miss Swan, you don't get to make excuses for her. You don't get to make excuses for her because she is good or because she is your mother…."

"I am not making excuses…"

"Why are you here?" Regina asked.

"For you."

Regina turned to the blonde and let tears fall freely, "She went after her heart… it wasn't supposed to be like this."

"I know," Emma whispered as she stood up, pulling the smaller woman to her, holding her close, letting her sob against her shoulder.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_"Do you have a moment to talk?" Emma asked, holding her cell phone close to her ear, shutting out the noise of New York traffic as she leaned against the wall of the apartment block._

_Regina glanced at her mother who was in the office, staring at the dagger that they had just retrieved from Snow and David. She walked away, closing the door gently as she stepped into her garden, once immaculate, now slightly overgrown._

_"Miss Swan? Is Henry okay?"_

_Emma smiled at the first question, nodding, "He is fine… Regina, I need to tell you something and please don't freak out."_

_Hearing nothing, she continued, "We found Rumple's son… he's Henry's dad."_

_"What?" Regina hissed._

_"Neal is Henry's dad and Rumple's son… as fucked up as that is. And we're leaving for Storybrooke because Rumple just got stabbed by Hook with some poison… and is dying and we need to get him back magic to save him."_

_"He's dying?"_

_"Yes…"_

_"This could work," Regina mused. "My mother has his dagger… if he dies, dark magic dies too."_

_"You're suggesting that we let him die?"_

_"My mother wants his magic, and if she has it, there's no telling what she can do. I already know her plans for your parents and for you… and trust me Miss Swan, none of them have a happy ending… But if Gold was to-"_

_"I will not let a man die!" Emma shouted into the phone. "We will find another way- Can you meet me when we get back home?"_

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x

"She did love me," Regina murmured into Emma's neck as her sobs subsided.

Emma could say nothing but watch as the older woman pulled back, "She loved me, for that moment, she loved me and I was enough. And now I have no one-"

"You have Henry."

"Who hates me? Sees me not as his mother but as the Evil Queen. He has you and his father now…"

"You're his mother. You raised him."

Regina smiled sadly, "And yet, I am not enough for him…"

"You have me," Emma whispered.

Regina studied her closely, "Do I?"

Emma nodded, "You're enough for me."

Regina laughed and shook her head, "I can't forgive your mother."

Emma stepped closer, "I am not asking you to."

Regina looked up into soft green eyes and smiled, "I will want my vengeance."

"Then we do it the right way," Emma reasoned. "We will put Mary Margaret behind bars…"

"Your world's rules don't work anymore…"

"I can't let you kill her," Emma whispered, their foreheads touching.

Regina lifted her thumb and caressed the pale cheek tenderly, "I thought I was enough."

"Regina?" Emma begged. "I can't let you kill her."

Regina placed a gentle kiss upon soft lips, and felt fingers entwine in her dark hair, pulling her close. Emma moaned quietly as she deepened the kiss, her back hitting against the wall. Their lips caressed, nipped and pecked before tongues duelled, tasted and danced. Regina pulled back, breathing unevenly, before looking into green eyes. "I won't kill her."

Emma nodded thankfully, before she captured the older woman's lips in a gentle kiss. She couldn't help the gasp as she felt the grip on her heart, and looked up at Regina's dark eyes, "Regina?"

Regina frowned, feeling the love in that heart, but had been warned by her mother of its strength. She twisted her hand slightly, whispering gently as Emma moaned, "I'm sorry."

"You can't take my heart," Emma gasped. "True love."

Regina smiled sadly, "I can… because I love you."

She pulled the heart free, holding it gently as Regina slid down the wall, looking up at her with confusion. She placed it gently in an empty box before looking down at the blonde. She crouched before her, pushing fallen strands of golden locks behind the younger woman's ear before kissing her tenderly on the forehead. "And you love me."

She stood up, closed the box gently and walked out of the vault, stopping at the entrance, "I will have my vengeance."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_"Regina?"_

_The brunette turned from the view of the sea, and smiled softly when she saw the blonde approaching them, recognising exhaustion on her pale features._

_"Your mother?"_

_"Sleeping," Regina answered as she looked back at the sun rising over the ocean. "Henry?"_

_"Same… excitement finally knocked him out. Which is great, because I can't handle have him looking at me with hatred anymore."_

_"Hatred?"_

_"His dad… I lied to him about Neal, and he hates me for it…"_

_"Not the most pleasant of feelings," Regina mumbled, knowing it well. "Gold?"_

_"Still hanging on," Emma stated as she sat down on the bench. "I can't let him die… Neal is going through spells to try and save him."_

_"You need to transfer the poison from him to something else…"_

_""And I am guessing that you have a plan," Emma mumbled as she moved closer to the brunette. "I've missed you."_

_Regina raised an eyebrow, surprise evident in her features._

_"There is so much shit going on, and it never seems to stop and half the time I can't make any sense of it… I just feel that I all I do is feel angry at everyone and my son, I'm scared to death that something will happen to him… When I was a child, I used to dream of finding my parents but I never expected it to be like this… and most of the time, I kind of wish it wasn't. I wish the curse had never broken but it has."_

_"Miss Swan?"_

_"And I missed you… in New York, I missed you… and I think why hide anymore, because maybe your plan won't work… and your mother kills me-"_

_"She won't," Regina interrupted. "Henry will hate me… I will hate me if she does."_

_"I just need you to know that I missed you… and when we save the world, we're going to start again."_

_Regina smirked, "Are we?"_

_Emma chuckled, "What's the plan?"_

_Regina grabbed the taller woman, pulling her face close to hers, her hands holding each cheek as she softly grazed her lips against the other woman's. When she pulled back, she saw the blonde stunned and kissed her again, tenderly._

_Emma awoke to this kiss, her hand pulling the brunette closer, her hand wrapped behind her neck as she let their lips learn each other. They pulled apart, taking a breath before turning to look at the sea as the orange glow of the waking sun reflected on the still blue waters._

_"My mother wants the dark power… so we need to destroy the dagger if Gold won't die."_

_"How do we save him?"_

_"We need to pull the poison from him and transfer it to someone else…"_

_"No one is dying!"_

_"No one?"_

_Emma's glare softened as she took the other woman's hand in her own, pressing it to her lips, kissing it softly, "No one is dying."_

_"We can transfer the poison to the dagger… destroy it and save him."_

_"Can it be done?"_

_"Yes, but we need to make sure we are in place. My mother will want him… she will want to see him. They have a great history, so she will come for him. You say you do magic?"_

_"Not very well…"_

_"He will teach you… he taught me. He will teach you protection spells. Do them. We'll break them. When we do, you need to be prepared to cast his poison from him…"_

_"How do I do that?"_

_Regina smiled as she felt the warmth of Emma's breath against her knuckles and turned to her, "Think of this moment… focus on this moment. You know that you are focusing when you have a single moment inside your mind and no thought of anything else."_

_Emma kissed the woman without thought just with feeling and pulled back, a blush shading her cheeks, "It just happened…"_

_Regina chuckled, "You focused… sometimes magic is not magic… When it's time, focus on the poison and then the dagger…"_

_"If I can't-"_

_"I will help you," Regina swore. "I will help you."_

_"And afterwards, your mother?"_

_"We will find a way to deal with her…"_

_Emma smiled as she stood up, not wanting to leave the brunette, "I need to-"_

_Regina stood too, "I know."_

_Emma went to walk away._

_"Emma," Regina called and waited for the blonde to turn around. "I missed you too."_

_Emma grinned widely as the brunette disappeared among purple smoke._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Regina!" Snow shouted as her former step-mother appeared at the foot of the bed. She could hear her husband running up the steps and was unsurprised to find him swinging the door open, sword held high. Regina smirked as she tossed him aside with a simple flick of her hand.

She returned her attention to the frightened brunette on the bed, "You manipulated me into killing my mother…"

"She killed mine," Snow argued.

"You are supposed to be good."

Snow mumbled, "I am so sorry Regina."

Regina shook her head, "We had a plan. Your daughter and I. We had a plan and you ruined it… you listened to Gold! Of all the people in this world to listen to… you picked him. And my mother, you took her from me!"

"I didn't know you and Emma had a plan… if I had known that you were-"

"What? Being good?" Regina scoffed. "You would have said, "Yes Emma, we should trust Regina because she is good." No, you wouldn't have. You would have warned her and told her of all the evil things I had done… that is why we didn't tell you!"

"I'm sorry," Snow pleaded, tears streaming from her eyes. "Are you here to kill me?"

Regina smirked and shook her head, "No, I promised Emma I wouldn't…. but I will have my vengeance."

She placed the box on the edge of the bed and Snow's eyes widened as she looked at it, "Is that?"

"Your daughter's heart?" Regina finished. "Yes it is…"

"But how?" Snow shook her head, "No! Your mother couldn't take it out… so you couldn't. It's a trick."

"True Love is truly the most powerful magic of all," Regina stated. "I promised Emma I wouldn't kill you… but I will leave you her heart, and dare you to return it to her… but ask yourself before you do, did I do to that heart what you did to my mother's? Can you risk what happened to my mother happen to your precious daughter? Or will you have her spend her days without a heart, without the capacity for love? Or will you risk it, and hope that I've done nothing."

Regina went to disappear before Snow stopped her, "If you truly loved Emma, you would have done nothing to her heart."

Regina vanished but not before saying to her former step-daughter, "And if you were truly pure and good, you would never have done something to my mother's heart."


End file.
